Buffy: A New Era
by Rouvas7x7
Summary: I originally wrote this over the summer, but discontinued it, but now I am bringing it back. Tara and Anya are alive. Angel is free of his curse and he and Buffy can now be together. Set in the modern day. Buffy takes up her Slayer duties again and she moves to London with the entire gang where they live in a skyscraper's penthouse. A very dark story where Buffy kicks vamp ass!
1. A New Era

In this story, Anya and Tara are alive. I'm making it so that Willow used her magic to resurrect them at some point over the years. Anya is married to Xander, Willow to Tara, and Spike has a different hooker every other night.

The year was 2015. It had been over a decade after the events of season seven and at this point in their lives, the Scooby Gang was broken up, each gone their separate ways. There was no need for a Slayer at the present time and the whole world seemed to be lacking much supernatural activity. Very little ever went on anymore and it was as if Buffy had retired from her Slayer duties as her life had been "normal" for the past three or four years.

Alone at his apartment, Giles sat. s. He was endlessly going through a collection of old books - spell tomes and myths and whatever else. Sipping tea, he flipped through a spell tome when he suddeny felt a sharp pain in his chest. He clutched it in silence, unsure of what to think when, suddenly, he felt a great disturbance in the mystical aura of the earth.

He sat, reading a newspaper article about mysterious weather patterns forming over Sunnydale's ruins.

"Oh my..." he said. "I think I'd better make a phone call..."

A week later, alone in her apartment in San Francisco, Buffy sat on the couch, which was rugged and uncomfortable, daydreaming about how boring a "normal" life is. Her place wasn't the nicest. It was really all she could afford. She was working two jobs - one in fast food and one in retail - for the sake of paying the bills and the pressures of day-to-day life were abrading against her sanity. Despite wanting it for a long time, the normalcy now tended to disgust her and she longed for a taste of anything supernatural.

It had been a little while since she had spoken to most of her friends other than the occasional phone call here and there. She and Willow still texted and called each other regularly, and she definitely tried to keep up with the others but it just wasn't what it used to be now that her life was "normal." The only good thing that had come out of this normal life was her relationship with Angel. After years of fearing such a relationship, Angel was able to become free of the curse that forbade it from happening after Willow, now an extremely powerful witch, searched for years and found a spell of untold power that enabled her to free Angel of the curse that tormented him for far too long and his soul was finally restored, while still retaining his vampire powers. Free from danger at last, he and Buffy were finally able to be together and after losing his companies, he now lived with her and the two of them were in a committed relationship and had been for the past two years or so and were on and off for a few years prior to that.

"Something bothering you?" he asked, walking shirtless and taking his place next to her. She glanced at his gorgeous, rock-hard abs as he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her upon the face.

"I'm fine," she said, smiling subtle as she rested her head upon his shoulder. Despite all, she loved him more than anything.

Her relationship with Spike had long since ended, but they remained friends and allies. Occasionally, she wondered what her life would have been like had she remained with him, but in the end she knew that Angel was her true soul mate. That is why she was here with him. They were always meant to be for it was written in the stars and against all odds, the universe willed that they be together for all time. These days, Spike typically rode his motorcycle anywhere he pleased, blasting British rock music and picking up hookers for one-night-stands. Such was a life that Buffy did not want.

Angel flashed a smile. "So, your birthday's coming up soon..."

"And...?" she replied. "I don't expect anything special. I'm not a kid anymore."

"Well, I have a surprise for you," he said, holding two plane tickets before her very eyes that glistened with shock. The tickets were to London.

"How did you afford these...?" she gasped, taking hold of them.

"That's not important. I want you to be happy and that's why we're doing this," he said.

"Oh jeez... I have to get ready. So we're spending my birthday in London? This is incredible! I can't believe this. I've been wanting to go back to Europe again," she gushed as Angel smiled, filled with happiness to see her like this and it reflected in his dark eyes. Buffy, still a valley girl at heart but a no-nonsense and fierce one at that, rushed to their bedroom to start packing as Angel looked at his phone and began texting someone.

That night, Angel laid atop their bed, wearing a black muscle shirt and matching underwear that tightly conformed to his muscular legs. Buffy was just getting out of the shower and getting into her pajamas before she threw herself down upon the bed next to him, resting her head upon his broad chest. She sighed deeply.

"Ya know, sometimes I miss the old days where I was staking undead perverts on a nightly basis, but now I guess my job's done and everything worked out for the better," she confessed.

"You never know what the future might hold, so don't be surprised if a day comes when the world needs the Slayer and her gang again," he told her, kissing her forehead gently.

"I can't believe we're going to Europe again. Maybe we can take a side trip to Paris. After all, it is the most romantic city in the world," she gushed, running her finger up his muscular chest and just under his chin before kissing him. "Maybe we could practice for what we'll do there, say... tonight."

"I like how you think," he agreed, turning off the lamp upon the nightstand as they threw the covers over them and prepared to engage in a night of heated passion that only star-crossed lovers could do.

A few days went by and they went to the airport, ready to board the plane. Angel offered to carry Buffy's luggage, but she was more than capable and declined, preferring to carry her own bags. She was wearing sunglasses and had a craving for an iced tea.

"I hope there's not some bratty kid who screams the whole way there," she confessed. "It should be morning by the time we arrive there. I realy wish Willow could come. She's probably so busy right now though."

Angel remained silent, following her through the airport terminals. They waited a good while before boarding the plane. Buffy took advantage of some of the shops around the airport and Angel just sat at the boarding zone, awaiting her return. She almost missed the flight because she got stuck in line at a coffee shop, buying a cappuccino, but luckily made it in time.

Quite a few hours later and after a long plane ride, the sun rose over the Atlantic Ocean and they had entered the sky above the British countryside and London was near. Buffy rested her head upon Angel's shoulder as she stared out at the sunrise, wondering just what her life had in store for her.

"Mom..." she whispered to herself as she gazed out the window. She really missed her, but tried to maintain a close relationship with her father. Being the Slayer certainly had drawbacks...

Once off the plain, she and Angel retrieved their luggage and left the airport, catching a taxi to take them to where they needed to go. A bit confused, she wondered just where that was. Angel retained his usual expression as his lover watched countless people walk down the paved sidewalks in a hurry. Eventually, the cab pulled up to a skyscraper.

"This is it," Angel said, paying the driver.

"It's beautiful," Buffy mused, getting her bags from the trunk.

Into the building they went, going to an elevator. "Is this a hotel? It doesn't seem like one," Buffy asked, perplexed. It looked like a typical building full of business people going about their daily occupations. The elevator seemed not to have any intention of stopping. "How far up are we even going?"

"The very top floor," Angel replied calmly.

They reached their destination and the doors opened, leading to a small room that had nothing in it except for a single locked door, which Angel opened with a key. What Buffy saw next left her both ecstatic and confused. Before her very eyes was a semi-large foyer of a room and standing in it were all her friends: Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, Faith, and Giles.

"What're you all doing here?" she asked, her jaw dropping. "Did you all come this far just for my birthday?" She was overjoyed and wondered if Angel arranged all this just for her.

"Buffy, we have something to explain to you, so you'd best brace yourself," Giles said, folding his hands after he slid his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

"And it's really big. I mean, like really, really big to the point you're gonna need a bottle of wine or a furry kitty to cuddle with just to recover from it," Willow added, always being descriptive.

"Cut to the chase and tell her already," Anya interjected, filing her nails.

"We think there is a new plot to take over the world and it's being orchestrated by some evil mastermind who attempts to command legions of the undead in a deliberate plot to bring about the destruction of the world as we know it," Giles admitted.

It hit Buffy fiercely and she didn't know what to say, but in some weird way she was almost expecting something like this to happen again... Just later and not sooner. She sighed deeply.

"Alright, who's behind this and what exactly are they doing?" Buffy asked almost instantly.

"We don't really know yet," Giles answered.

"And what's with bringing me here? What is this place?" the Slayer asked.

"This is your new home," Giles answered once again.

"What?" Buffy retorted, surprised and excited.

"This is where you'll be staying. This is where all of us will be staying," Giles continued. Behind the group was a hallway that had numerous doors lining it. At its very end was a glass doorway that led to a balcony that overlooked the city skyline. There was also a staircase leading to an upstairs section where the bedrooms were. "We're all moved in already. All that's left is for the two of you to move in."

"Did you know about this?" Buffy asked Angel, turning to him.

"I did. Giles called me and told me everything."

"But not before he called me," Willow interjected. "Tara and I were doing each other's tarot readings and the phone rang and it was him and he explained everything and we gathered all our stuff and rushed here. I called them and told them to come along."

"Xander was busy watching a sports game when the phone rang and Willow filled us in and that's when we showed up," Anya said as Xander stood with his hands in his pockets.

"So this is why we brought like everything we own... which isn't much," Buffy said to Angel, whom nodded.

"I wanted it to be a surprise. I didn't wanna ruin the whole week before your birthday and make you stress about saving the world again," he said.

"Well, we have to get busy and start tracking down whoever this is and whatever they're up to," Buffy declared adamantly.

"Ah, yes... I agree," Giles added.

"I wanna kick some ass," Faith said, always being the bad girl.

"Not before we celebrate Buffy's birthday," Willow said before she disappeared into one of the rooms down the hallway, only to return a moment later, carrying a giant birthday cake. "Tara and I baked it. It's all-vegan and gluten-free. I think you'll like it," she blushed. It was very nicely designed and had "Happy Birthday, Buffy!" written in big letters upon it.

"We know it's your favorite," Tara blushed, folding her hands.

"Ah, Will... You shouldn't have!" Buffy exclaimed, looking at it.

"It's like the gang's all here," Xander said, throwing his arms over both Buffy's and Willow's shoulders.

Buffy paused for a moment. "Yeah... the only one who's missing is..." and before she could even finish that statement, loud British rock music could be heard from somewhere nearby and the elevator doors opened. From them came a tall man with slicked back, blonde hair and dark sunglasses. He donned a leather trench coat and held his phone in his hands, which was blasting the music. "Spike..." finished Buffy, smiling.

"Sorry I'm late. Overnight I got caught up in a rainstorm by Liverpool and oh, my... it was rather nasty, riding a motorcycle in all that downpour. Luckily, I met this prostitute at a bar and she showed me to the backroom and some things happened. I don't even know what her name was, but oh, well..."

Buffy ran to hug him and he returned it and despite the obvious affection, Angel wasn't jealous at all because he knew that even though he was Buffy's soulmate, those two would always have a deep bond and mutual respect for one another.

"Come on, Buffy! I'll show you to your room!" Willow enthused, grabbing her luggage and leading her down the hall into one of the doors.

The girls went there and Angel followed, carrying the remainder of their luggage. This was a new beginning and Buffy was really excited about it, but first wanted to shower and get herself together after the long plane ride from San Francisco to London.

PLEASE REVIEW! What do you think so far?


	2. London

Chapter 2: Settling In

A few hours later, Buffy was in her bedroom, having moved her things into it, and was arranging some clothes into a drawer. The room itself was fairly sizeable for two-person room. It had a dresser and a bed large enough for two to sleep in. There was a tall mirror mounted to the wall and a nightstand at the bed's side. It was spacious enough for the sake of comfort and something about it satisfied Buffy. Angel, wearing black pants and a button-up shirt of the same color, laid upon the bed, watching her organize her clothes.

"I'm really happy to be here. San Francisco was getting kinda boring anyway and I realized a while ago that a normal life wasn't that great in the first place. It's so crazy - being the Slayer again and all. But I can handle it," she smiled, grasping her stake and setting it atop the dresser. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

"I wasn't planning anything," he replied calmly.

"I think I'm going out with Willow, Tara, Faith, and Anya for a while. We're gonna have a girl's night. Why don't you go to a bar or something with Xander or Spike?"

"Spike's probably already made plans with some random prostitute and Xander's probably busy being... Xander."

"Good point," the Slayer replied, shutting a drawer. "I'm sure you can find something interesting to do around here. Maybe talk to Giles... I don't know... I'm sure he has some interesting mythology thing he can teach you or something..."

Angel arose from the bed and stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck tenderly. She blushed, grasping his shoulder. "You know, I have something for you," he said, releasing her from his embrace and pulling something out of his pocket. He had a gift for her, a birthday present of sorts.

"What is it?" she asked, opening the small box and taking the glistening platinum cross necklace from it. "Angel... You shouldn't have!" she blushed, kissing him upon the cheek intensely.

"Happy birthday, Buffy. I thought maybe you could use it in your never-ending quest to fight vampires, I love you," he said, kissing her again.

"I know," she smiled brightly as she looked into his eyes - eyes that she knew had so much regret and pain behind them, which somehow helped her to love him more. "I'll never take if off," she promised, placing the necklace around the flesh of her neck.

"Hey," came the voice of Willow as she knocked upon the door, sticking her face in. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a sec, Will."

"Okay, I'll be out in the hall, waiting."

"I've gotta go," she told Angel, kissing him as her necklace shone in the light coming from the window. "I'll be back in a few hours." He nodded, returning the kiss just before she darted out the door with her wallet.

Once on the streets outside, The ladies walked through the masses of humanity expediting the pavement, taking them to a nearby shopping district at the river's edge.

"And this one store has really great discounts on certain days of the month, so that place is a must on the stop list," Anya went on, examining a tourist pamphlet as Buffy glanced all around, looking in every which direction at her surroundings.

"I wonder if they have any pet stores around here. I've been wanting to get a guinea pig. They're so soft and cuddly and cute. Tara's okay with it and I've always wanted one," Willow vented as she was secretly lost in her own little world.

"What's the best place to eat around here?" Buffy asked.

"Well, there's this really great French place down the road. But they seem kinda expensive. They must like money a lot... like I do," Anya said, still reading the pamphlet.

"French boys sure do know how to fuck," Faith said.

Three hours or so later at headquarters, Angel stood patiently outside the bathroom, wishing to take a shower after the long and strenuous plane ride over the Atlantic. He had been waiting quite awhile and wasn't even sure who was in there. He crossed his arms and sighed just before the running water finally stopped. A minute later, the door opened and it turned out that the culprit who spent way too much time in the shower was none other than Spike. He came out in nothing but his underwear, red and tight and perfectly showing off his ass cheeks.

"What's the matter? Wish you had an ass as fine as mine?" Spike teased Angel, whom rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna find me' self a date with a mighty fine hooker tonight and we're gonna set the hotel room on fire," he continued, using his towel to slap Angel's ass as he walked past him.

"Sorry, but I have a girlfriend," Angel declared before he stepped into the bathroom, locked the door, and began to undress himself to step into the shower and turn on the hot water.

As the downpour consumed his body, the heated liquid massaged his flesh soothingly. He closed his eyes and began to breathe deeply, contemplating his life and memories and sorrows. Still after all these decades, Angelus' deeds tormented him and he longed for forgiveness.

"All those countless people I killed... What a monster I was..." he sighed, remembering that he cannot change the past. He thought of Buffy and how she had reminded him time and time again that although the past could not be changed, the future was still unwritten. "My past is one written in blood," he whispered to himself under the noise of the water as it smashed against the glass door of the shower. He bowed his head, shamefully wishing he could undo what he did.

[It is important to remember that Angel and Liam (Angel's original name in 17'th century Ireland) ARE the same person. I see some fans get confused about this because of how a vampire is defined as a demon who takes over the body of a human after said human is killed and their soul is gone, thus allowing the evil spirit AKA demon to set up shop inside the vacant body, retaining the memories of the person who once lived inside the body.. It is stated in the show that after Angelus caused mass destruction that he was cursed by a gypsy clan, which brought Liam's soul back to his body, but he was forced to live with the guilt of all the things the demon Angelus did with it. Liam and Angel ARE the same person. Angelus is the demon that lives inside him and takes over and causes chaos. Angel/Liam feels incredible guilt even though it's technically not his fault because he can't control Angelus. Sorry to go on a rant, but I wanted to clarify this to fans who think that Angel was just some random soul that took over the body to stop Angelus. Angel IS Liam.]

After his time in the shower, he returned to his room, wanting to put on his best clothes for Buffy's birthday and cook her a wonderful dinner. He was going to ask Jenny or Tara or Faith to help him cook all of Buffy's favorite dishes and surprise her with them when she returned from her outing.

One of the rooms down the hall was a small library that was compiled with many book shelves and a computer. Giles sat at the desk, researching anything he could find that had to do with peculiar weather patterns over a Hellmouth. Even on Buffy's birthday, he could never take a break from his job as Watcher. EVER.

"Aren't you stressing a bit too much?" Spike asked as hestepped into the room with a cup of coffee.

"No. I must find whatever this menace is. I just know something is wrong and I am determined to stop it from whatever havoc is planning to unleash upon the world," Giles retorted sternly as usual. "Damn it!" he cursed as he remained in the library, attached to his books and his duty as Watcher. Sadly, he could not find any leads whatsoever. "I suppose I could join the others in the tonight's festivities," he sighed, finally closing his book and rising from his seat.

Buffy sat at a cafe, sipping a smoothie as Willow and Tara awaited herbal teas and Anya her super rich cappuccino while Faith merely waited on a soda, all of which the waitress finally brought. It was now around four in the afternoon and Buffy wondered what awaited her when they returned home. She grasped her necklace and smiled.

"Mmm... Acai berry mixed with essence of kelp, white sage and the leaves of an elm tree, with a tad bit of dragon's blood herb... my favorite!" Willow enthused as she began to stir it and Faith looked at her oddly, a bit repulsed.

"It was a special request," Willow admitted.

"I'm surprised they actually have those ingredients at a cafe like this," Buffy laughed.

"I can't help but wonder who our new adversary is. Is the Master back? Or is it Drusilla? Is it the First? I just don't know, but it's killing me inside," Willow admitted as she awaited her tea to cool.

"I don't know, but regardless I'm ready for them and whatever they'll throw at me," Buffy enthused.

"So, do you think Angel's ever gonna ask you to marry him?" Willow brought up randomly.

Buffy blushed. She didn't know what to say. "We've never really talked about it, but maybe someday. I hope... He really does love me. I always used to be afraid that we could never be together, but now we are and he's the most amazing person I've ever met. And with my mom dead, I just don't know what I'd do without him. My dad lives far away and my sister is kinda distant... And after the Scoobies dissolved, I fell into deep depression and stuggled to pay my bills in my normal life and then Angel came along and we worked out everything and now here we are, saving the world again in a dark, twisted fantastical story where I refuse to be the damsel in distress," Buffy finished venting before taking a deep breath.

"Soulmates are an interesting concept," Willow interjected. "I just knew that for me it was Tara... I really did. It's like you just know..." Willow blushed, gently placing her hand over her wife's, who smiled.

"You're my everything," Tara told Willow, blushing.

Buffy smiled before looking at her phone. "We should probably get back soon. I told Angel I'd only be gone a few hours."

The girls continued talking for a while before heading back home. The long elevator ride to the top of the skyscraper was a little annoying because of its length, but when they arrived at the top floor, Buffy had no idea of the surprise that was awaiting her inside. It was sure to make her very happy on this special day of all days - the anniversary of the Slayer's birth. They turned the knob and entered the apartment absolutely ignorant to what awaited them.


	3. Buffy's Birthday

Chapter 3: Buffy's Birthday

This chapter has a very descriptive sex scene...

Buffy and the girls returned to the apartment, bringing with them their shopping bags. She finally felt like maybe she could get used to the extremely long elevator ride to the top of the building. After all, the view was nice, so it was kind of worth it. Once there, the lights in the foyer were very dim and they almost wondered if anybody was home.

"Oh jeez, is this a surprise party or something?" Buffy laughed, thinking it was so predictable.

"I wonder if we're gonna have balloon animals," Willow smiled widely, thinking back to her own childhood.

"Really, Willow?" Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, they're cute and..." Willow tried to explain herself before shutting up in embarrassment.

They walked into the dining room, which was pitch black and suddenly the lights came on and everyone yelled "Surprise!" as typical as it was... Buffy's face lit up with both glee and embarrassment, feeling almost like a kid again. Everyone was there, except Angel.

"This is for you," Xander said, handing her a box. Inside was a new blouse.

"It's designer. We got it from a very expensive place downtown," Anya bragged, flipping her hair back.

"Oh, thanks," Buffy blushed.

Xander blushed in return and the others presented their gifts to Buffy with her forever grateful. Spike got her a leather jacket with spikes jutting out of the shoulder areas that looked like something out of an 80's rock concert. The spikes were exceptionally sharp and were excellent for elbowing an enemy from behind. He also got her a new knife, finely polished and made to kill.

"This is from me," Willow enthused, handing the Slayer her gift. It was a framed picture of the two of them and the frame was made from the bark of a willow tree. "The frame is willow, so you'll always have that to remind you of me," the red head chuckled, as cheesy as it was.

Alas, Angel finally walked in, laughing to himself. "I thought I'd spare you the embarrassment of me jumping out and shouting 'Surprise,' even though all of them thought it was a good idea," he said.

"That's cuz you're boring," Willow said, giving him a little shove on the shoulder.

"Buffy,' began Giles. "I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you now that I've known you for almost twenty long years or so... I think you're a fine lady and honestly, sometimes you terrify me, but I'm proud of you and your recklessness."

"Thanks, Giles," she blushed.

All kinds of wonderful foods were set out upon the table - all of Buffy's favorites - and she smiled vehemently. "Who cooked all this?"

"It was Angel's idea and he did most of it, but we helped," Giles said.

"You did all this for me?" Buffy asked, hugging her boyfriend tightly as he rested his hand upon her back. "You really didn't have to."

"Don't forget the cake I baked," Willow cheerfully smiled.

Everyone sat down for the lovely meal and Buffy for the first time in a while felt truly like she had a place and a home. The meal was absolutely delectable and Spike threw a knife in the air above him, so that it fell directly upon his steak in the dead center, slicing it in half. "I'm quite talented at the art of throwing sharp objects," he bragged.

The evening went on and Buffy had a lovely birthday. She loved everything she received and was happy to be spending it here rather than in a shitty apartment in San Francisco where her only guest would be the land lord pounding on her door for the month's rent. Conversations were had and laughs were made as the hours went by and even Giles of all people lightened up a bit, actually enjoying himself and almost getting drunk on wine. Almost.

"I wanna see Giles get drunk," Xander said as the Watcher held a bottle of wine in his hand, which was shaking a bit.

"Absolutely not!" Giles snapped. "I could never succumb to alcoholic intoxication. Only weak-minded people do that kind of thing and I... I... Oh, what the Hell," he said, surrendering himself to the temptation of raspberry wine straight out of a bottle. The dark red liquid began spilling out of his mouth and down his chin like water drops in the shower as he binge drank it.

"I've never seen Giles drunk before," Xander said as Buffy burst out laughing.

"I have... once. And it's not pretty," Buffy added.

"I'm gonna be drinking a lot later tonight, so I've gotta watch myself now," Spike said, already fantasizing about his date with some random vamp chick. "Got me chains and me nails ready in case she want's something a little more extreme. Sado-masochism is the way to go."

"Yeah, if you like having chains that suffocate your flesh," Buffy rolled her eyes.

"I give the vamp chicks what they want," Spike said, downing a huge gulp of wine as Giles reached tried to snatch it from him. "Get your own!" the blonde vampire smirked.

"He's had a little too much to drink," Willow said as Giles' head dropped against the table and he looked like he was about to fall asleep.

"Wow, Giles drunk... Now I've seen everything," Buffy said.

Later that night, Buffy and Angel were alone in their room. Buffy was brushing her hair in the mirror after stepping out of the shower. Angel was ready for bed and was there, awaiting her to join him. "You know, I have one last gift I wanna give you," he said, flashing a smile.

"And what is that?" she replied curiously, knowing just what he meant.

"Come here and I'll show you."

Buffy crawled atop the bed and he kissed her ardently and took a deep breath as joy showed itself upon both their faces. They threw off their clothing and fell into an embrace, pecking one another's flesh heavily before joining their lips together unceasingly.

Angel pulled the blankets over top them and he began rubbing his body against hers, feeling his erection harden. Buffy ran her hands through his dark hair, while he continued grinding against her and their bodies collided continuously. Her breasts were soft and tender, contrasting to his hard and muscular chest in a perfect manner. They were drawn to one another in a state of deep love.

"Fuck me," she laughed, enamored by him.

Without even saying a word, he smiled and placed his erection between her legs. He could feel her vaginal muscles tightly hug his penis, which was now rock hard and surging with pre-cum that escalated it and began to fall into her vagina as he thrust back and forth inside her. Her vagina was moist and warm and soft and incredibly comfortable around his erection and they both chuckled softly and he began thrusting harder and faster, quaking her with delight as bombs of pleasure went of in both their minds. Their bodies were in a state of sensation as if they were suddenly taken out of this dark, horrible world and placed on cloud nine.

"You're beautiful," he told her as she kissed him, his words like music to her ears.

"And so are you," she replied with an edge to her voice, getting a bit rougher as he began thrusting more intensely.

They began making out while he continued to thrust, furthering the passion. Using his hand, he rubbed her clitoris tenderly and before long, they both felt a climax occurring within themselves."I have another gift to give you," he smiled.

"And what's that?" She asked.

"This..." He told her, feeling the semen shooting up from his testicles and through his erection, firing into her vagina and flooding it with his liquid love, while her vagina spasmed with bliss and euphoria dawned upon them both.

"I love you, Angel," she confessed, singing her love for him in the trance-like state of the orgasm.

She laughed and so did he, purely from the bliss filling both of them. She looked at his face and his smile and knew that he was truly happy and that the demon Angelus could not control him anymore. This fact, itself, was a gift as far as she was concerned.

After the impeccable love-making, they remained there, still and silent, staring into one another's eyes... Staring into one another's souls. The vampire and the Slayer, two foes that were naturally sworn enemies were brought together in this union as eternal lovers, fulfilling their star-crossed roll as one another's soul mates forever and ever. He placed his arm over her side, kissing her cheek one last time as the two of them laid there in union before drifting off to sleep until the morning's light would shine through the window, awakening them for the day ahead and whatever challenges it brought with it.

Meanwhile... Somewhere on the other side of town, Spike was in the storage room of an underground bar with some random vampire woman and he was just getting started. "Get ready cuz Devil Dick's gonna ram that pussy!" he shouted as the vampire girl laughed uncontrollably, her crimson lipstick showcasing on his face as she pecked him repeatedly. This was the third hooker he banged this week.

PLEASE REVIEW! I WANNA KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK! BE DETAILED!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Graveyard Showdown

The next afternoon, Buffy was in the living room. It was a nice area, rather spacious. It had two comfortable couches of khaki color facing one another with a finely polished coffee table of dark wood between them. A flat-screen television was mounted to the wall and there was a stereo to the side. Multiple long windows lined the wall facing the outside, providing an excellent view of the city.

"I'm bored," she moaned to herself as she laid upon the couch, tossing aside a popular magazine and covering her face with her arm.

"It could be worse. At least there's not a bunch of vampires around us, ripping apart everything and... stuff," Willow said.

Buffy threw a pillow at her and sighed. "I wanna see some action. I feel like crap right now."

"Yesterday was your birthday. Shouldn't you be happy now?" Willow asked before smiling salaciously. "I bet you and Angel had some fun last night after the party was over." Buffy couldn't contain her smile, remaining silent as her best friend laughed. "I knew it!"

"I don't fuck and tell," the Slayer replied, a dirty smile still etched across her face.

Willow put her hands on her hips. "Neither do I... Except for that time in a pet store when I smiled at Tara and quietly told her that I wanted to eat some pussy and there was this little girl walking by with her cat in her arms who heard us and she looked horrified and ran down the aisle with her cat, shouting for her mom. Yeah, that was awkward."

"Oh Will, how you entertain me, but regardless, I digress."

Suddenly, Buffy was interrupted. Into the room stumbled Spike, hungover as all Hell and clutching a wine bottle that he almost dropped. There was lipstick marks of the brightest red all over his face and neck, but he could barely speak. "So drunk... Need to lay down," he moaned, throwing himself upon one of the couches and slamming his face in a pillow.

Buffy shot Willow a look of non-surprise before getting up to go get a snack in the kitchen. Maybe some left over birthday cake. Willow followed her, bored herself. A few hours went by and it was dusk, nearly nightfall.

"Buffy! We have a report of a vampire in a cemetery, trying to dig up someone's grave," Giles said.

"I'm on it!" the Slayer asserted, grabbing her scythe from her room and about to rush out the door.

"I'm going with you," Angel said, stopping her.

"You don't need to. I can handle this on my own. I promise."

She looked into his eyes and he into hers and she meant this most certainly, but not before being met with disapproval among others, including Spike, whom grabbed some railway spikes out of his pocket.

"I've been aching to pound these into someone's skull for a while now," Spike said.

"And I have some new magic spells I kinda wanna try out," Willow added.

"Buffy, it might be wise to let them go with you. After all, we don't know what these new vampires are like or what tricks they under their sleeve," Giles said.

Buffy crossed her arms, sighing. "Alright... You all can come. I guess it would help me get the job done faster anyway," she succumbed and Willow hugged her tightly.

They ran to a cemetery on the outskirts of London. Dusk was settling upon the land as an eerie silence lingered among the graves; some of them centuries old with the weathering showcasing their archaic status. Buffy held her scythe, ready to kill, as she crept among these graves with her friends behind her. The cemetery was massive and not a single living soul could be seen.

"This place is even creepier than Sunnydale's old cemetery," Willow said.

"Yeah, and way bigger for more demons to hide in, Buffy added.

Not far from them was a mausoleum and there was someone standing at its door. It was clearly a woman, dressed in white. From the sides of the structure, three vampires came running out into the open view of the Scoobies.

"Battle formation!" Buffy shouted, ramming her scythe against one of the vampires, whom blocked it just barely. He kicked her, but she did a back flip and landed on her feet, still grasping the scythe tightly, and he charged at her, but she jumped out of the way and in the process slammed the scythe against his neck, decapitating him as his lifeless head fell to the cold grass. "That'll teach ya," she said, grinding her teeth.

Spike was chasing one of the other vampires, trying to pound his rail way spikes into their heads, while Angel wrestled with another vampire in a death match.

Suddenly, another vampire appeared and grabbed the woman, dragging her into the mausoleum. Her screams shook the air as a cold breeze swept across the graveyard.

"Buffy, help her!" Willow shouted, using her magic to telekinetically choke one of the vampires.

Buffy ran into the mausoleum, but as soon as she did, the door slammed shut and it was a heavy stone door. "Typical," the Slayer rolled her eyes as she struggled to find her foe in the pitch black darkness. "I know you're in here," she said confidently.

Suddenly, torches were lit, hanging from the ceiling. There were multiple coffins in the room and one main one at an alter of sorts that bore a large crucifix over top it. The vampire stood alongside the woman, still dressed in a white gown, but her face was concealed by her long and deathly hair of the most dark shade of black.

"Get away from her!" Buffy shouted, raising her scythe.

The vampire began laughing subtly. Angered, Buffy grabbed her scythe and began walking towards them, but suddenly did the woman begin chuckling to herself, perplexing Buffy, whom halter her movement. Finally lifting up her face and pushing back her hair, Buffy immediately recognized her pale skin, white as ice, and her blameless face, like that of a Christian school girl. Her expression transitioned from such innocence to malicious.

"Drusilla..." Buffy said. "I should've known better.

"You should have," she replied.

"What do you want here?"

"I have a new agenda, but my first goal is to kill you for taking my lover from me," she snapped coldly with a whimper in her voice. Suddenly, her face became that of a vampire in their true form.

"I'm not even with Spike anymore, Drusilla. Angel is my boyfriend."

"It doesn't matter whether you're fucking him or not. He's fighting on your side now and that's enough for me to want to kill you, you cunt!" she shouted before charging at Buffy.

"I don't want to have to do this, Drusilla!" Buffy replied, barely dodging her assault and kicking her in the back. The other vampire attacked her too, but she easily overpowered him, slamming him against the wall and knocking him into a coma.

"Fight me!" the vampiress screamed, rising to her feat abruptly and attempting to bite Buffy's throat, whom dodged it. "I want to see you wither and cry like I did after I lost him to you! I want to see you wallow in misery like I did!"

"Okay, now you're just being overly dramatic, Drusilla. Don't make me slay your cold, undead ass!" Buffy retorted as Drusilla scowled while trying to grab her scythe from her. They fought back and forth, but Buffy kicked her, overpowering her as she fell to the stone floor, sighing as she bit her lip.

"Buffy, dearest..." she began, whimpering in her child-like voice. "You see, all I want is my Spikey back. And you took him from me. That was really mean," she continued, breaking into a sob.

"Buffy!" screamed Willow's voice from the outside. "We're busting you outta there!"

"Your friends want to play too..." Drusilla continued, quivering her lip.

"You're not fooling me with this fake-ass routine. Don't fuck with me, Drusilla. I'll cut off your whiny, little head right now and bury you for the worms to eat. Don't tempt me," the Slayer warned, closing in on her.

"Buffy!" she heard Angel's voice screaming from the outside.

The Slayer picked up Drusilla by the throat and dragged her to the alter area and threw her atop the stone coffin at it. She enclosed in on her while still clutching her throat firmly. Just inches away from her face, she cursed her.

"Spike will never fight on your side again. Ever. Do you hear me?" she asked the trapped vampiress, whom scowled and attempted to bite her neck, but unable to break the Slayer's hold on her. "Say goodnight, Drusilla!" Buffy said, raising her scythe and about to deliver the final blow before being attack from behind by the other vampire she previously knocked out. Easily, she swung the scythe, slicing his throat, but unintentionally giving Drusilla the opportunity to get to her feet.

"We'll meet again, Buffy," she swore in her innocent-sounding voice, pushing momentarily to wipe a tear that fell from her eyes, shining in the torchlight. "We'll meet again!" she screamed before vanishing into a dark mist.

"Damn it!" the Slayer cursed to herself as the door was finally blasted open by Willow's magic. They all rushed inside to see if Buffy was alright and Angel threw his arm around her.

"Are you okay?" Willow asked, her voice trembling.

"Yeah... but you're never gonna believe who I just fought..." she said, turning directly towards Spike.

That night at her headquarters, Drusilla stood in the candle light, wiping her eyes. Her place was draconian as an understatement. Human heads were mounted to the walls and a lit hearth set the room ablaze with a dim light as the shadows from the flames danced upon the room's walls like children at a recital. Drusilla was not taking her loss very well and she felt the need to vent to herself. Tears fell vehemently down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably, walking to a window and looking out at the darkness of the night, screaming her former lover's name as she pleaded with all her might for him to return too her.

"SPIKE! CURSE YOU, BUFFY! SPIKE, COME BACK TO ME!"

She the wore the white gown as a constant reminder of her dream to marry him. Clutching a bouquet of dead flowers, she continued to sob before acting out as a solitary performer what she dreamed their wedding vows would be like.

"I take you, Spike, to be my lawfully, wedded husband and... and... UGH!" she broke down again, throwing the bouquet to the floor and running out of the room in tears. She was going to need to go and suck the blood of a child just to recover from this particular tantrum.

To be continued soon... PLEASE REVIEW AND BE DETAILED!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Understanding Evil

"What do you mean she is still in love with me?" Spike asked, perplexed as he knelt with one foot atop the living room coffee table. There was a curiosity in his eyes that no one had seen in quite a while. Beneath his clothing, an erection suddenly started occurring.

"She just... is still obsessed with you, I guess. After she lured me into that tomb, she and her goon tried to kill me for converting you to our cause and then towards the end she got really crazy and started sobbing for her 'Spikey,' and vanished in a mist. I almost killed her, but she " Buffy explained.

"Awe, Dru... My insane, little baby still wants me after all these years and was willing to kill someone for me... How hot!" Spike enthused, curling his fists. Everyone glared at him, disgusted, as he merely rested his chin upon his fist with an expression that looked like nostalgia at best.

"She's a threat to the entire world and you're worried about her coming off as hot? Willow accused, gasping.

"Sorry, I was just... having a moment. She and I were involved for a very long time," Spike apologized. "A very, very long time, that is..."

"We have bigger things to worry about than being sexy," Giles interrupted. "So, Drusilla is still at large and is potentially the one behind this new threat... I'm quite curious as to what has motivated her to such madness once again. She's been dormant for a decade or so now, so why all of a sudden is she plotting to take over the world again? What could be the catalyst for such a thing?"

"She was always insane," Buffy answered, rolling her eyes and imagining the terrifyingly innocent Christian school girl persona of Drusilla.

"She used to beg me to kiss her toe nails before she would go to sleep. I would and then we'd fuck like there was no tomorrow," Spike confessed, still smiling, as everyone looked at him oddly, a bit disturbed at such a revelation, yet it was somehow not surprising that Drusilla would expect such treatment form a lover, regardless of who they were or how sane their mental health was.

"Smelly feet... nice," Willow said as the sarcasm resonated upon her tone.

"We'll have to keep searching for wherever she's set up shop. It's gotta be somewhere in London or at least in the area," Buffy speculated.

"Probably in a sewer somewhere," Willow guessed before smirking. "Do you know how big and nasty the London sewers probably are? Ew..."

"Well, we know two things... She wants to kill Buffy and she wants Spike to return to her, so chances are that wherever Spike goes, she'll probably follow. I suppose we could use him as a decoy, but would she really be dumb enough to fall for it?" Giles explained, pondering as he scratched his chin.

"Well, I'm going to bed, so I'll see you all tomorrow," Buffy bid farewell.

After she was showered, Buffy laid upon her bed, deep in thought. Drusilla was tragically beautiful and came across as dangerously innocent. Her skin, white as snow, was the shell for the demon within, a being so maniacal and so clever that it could easily fool one into believing it was a harmless young maiden, luring them to their tragic death just like in the stories of old regarding sirens, creatures of the deep who disguised themselves as beautiful maidens out at sea that would deceive sailors with their aesthetics, seducing them enough to drag them to a watery grave. Such was not surprising for one like Drusilla. She was a siren of an undead nature, luring young men of the living to their deaths at her bite.

"How was I so stupid to fall for that and chase her into that tomb?" the Slayer wondered under her breath, worrying about what her nemesis was capable of and who could potentially die.

"Close your eyes," Angel whispered to her, wrapping his arm around her and snuggling his body against hers. She smiled vibrantly in the shadows of their bedroom. She felt his warmth around her as he kissed her neck and she felt safe in his arms. She took his advice and closed her eyes, drifting off into slumber as the moonlight shone through the window.

The next morning, Buffy awoke to the sounds of the city ablaze with the dawn of a new day. She could hear it all through her open window as a subtle breeze swept through it, soothing her face before she got out of bed, changing into her clothes for the day. Angel was still asleep and she wasn't going to wake him, at least not now. Thirsty for some morning coffee, she went to the kitchen, where she found Willow making some kind of strange apothecary of a tea.

"What're you doing up so early?" she asked.

"I always get up really early. It's a spiritual thing," Willow replied, chopping Annis herbs. "You sleep well?"

"I guess... I want some wine."

"Spike stole the last bottle last night... He went to the other side of town somewhere to meet another hooker. Tara and I were gonna have some last night before we did some fun sex magic rituals before bed, but we caught him taking it."

"I'm worried about him... Drusilla is crazy obsessed with him. I don't know if she'll ever be able to lure him back to the dark side, but if she doesn't we're in serious trouble," Buffy vented, pouring herself some coffee.

"You're not like... jealous, are you? About Drusilla?"

"Of course not. I'm with Angel and it's gonna stay that way. Spike is a friend and I care for him... He just happens to be my former boyfriend."

Willow stared intently, genuinely curious. In the end, Buffy did choose Angel over Spike, but sometimes she wondered if a love triangle ever went on between the three of them, still.

Spike walked into the room, nearly falling over and clutching a bottle of vodka as he stuttered over to the counter. Once again did he have red lip stick marks all over his collar and neck as he muttered to himself in a drunken manner.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked.

"Fine..." he replied, slowly.

He went to his room and shut the door, probably to rest for the entire morning and into the afternoon. Willow and Buffy gave each other a glance of apprehension before changing the subject to the lunar phases - something Willow was currently obsessed with.

Giles appeared in the door way, looking wide awake at this early hour. "Good morning, girls," he said, grabbing an English muffin. "We have some things to take care of today. I believe that late last night, I've uncovered somethings about Drusilla and what she may be planning, but I'm not quite sure. Buffy, you may have to go on an investigation tonight."

"Sounds great, Giles," she replied, stirring her coffee and watching the clouds of cream within it. pretending in her mind that they were entire galaxies of their own, all existing within her glass.

Did Spike ever return from his outing last night?" he asked.

"Just missed him. He was hungover as usual," the Slayer answered again.

"I'm surprised he hasn't died from alcohol poisoning if you want the truth," Giles said.

At Drusilla's hideout, she laid upon her bed, cuddling with a male mannequin she probably stole from some retail store. She had a short, blonde wig upon it and she rubbed its crotch against her own, kissing its lips passionately as blood smeared upon it from her own lips, which she had been biting obsessively all day.

"Oh, Spike... You're so good in bed. I'm so happy you've returned to me after being with that Buffy bitch for so long," Drusilla told the mannequin, emotion surging through her voice. This was insanity at its grandest and she showed no sign of any sane thought whatsoever.

She smile deeply before taking in the truth that a replica of a human body was not a human body. She then threw it across the room before sobbing into her pillow and repeatedly calling out Spike's name, but there was no reply. Flustered, she continued too cry until she fell asleep for it was daylight. Such a demon of malefic possibilities existed within this seemingly sweet woman. Looks can be deceiving, after all...

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	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Before the Robbery

One of the rooms Giles had requested be built in this rooftop penthouse was a room dedicated to the practice of magic and the occult. It was a decent-sized room, without being too big, and was the shape of an octagon, located in the pent house's second floor. One needed to climb a staircase and end up in a lounge-like room before going through a small hallway and entering this room. Its walls were painted violet, with a few tall yet thin windows at the sides of the room, and there was a large pentagram painted onto the floor at its center. There were a few book cases lined with books about everything in the occult from demonology to astral travel to psychic abilities and divination to herbology and alchemy to runes and ritual spell work. Many candles of numerous colors and substances were throughout the room, both decorating it and for the use in ritual. Off to the side was a small garden for growing herbs and a few heat lamps were above the garden beds, while on the other side of the room was a small table with a crystal ball stop it. Directly above the pentagram at the room's center was a rooftop window in the shape of a circle that would allow the moonlight to enter the room.

Willow walked through the door, noticing her wife meditating upon the pentagram at the room's center. Her eyes were closed and for a second she wondered if she should disturb her.

"Hey... So Buffy's supposedly going on a mission tonight to try and uncover Drusilla's plans. I'm going to give her some backup. Wanna come?"

"I would love to, dear," Tara answered, ceasing to open her eyes as she breathed deeply, emitting a tranquil vibe.

"Okay, so we think Drusilla's up to no good and she's going crazy over Spike. She really misses their glory days together, I guess," Willow shrugged, going to tend to her herbs.

Downstairs, Buffy stood at the end of the hallway, staring out the window at the London skyline. She was thinking about her mom, whom she missed a lot. It was hard for her to believe that fifteen years had gone by since that horrible day when the brain tumor took her life. Silent, she stood there introspectively.

The light from the midday sun shone through the glass, illuminating the hallway with the vigor of the city in daytime as the Slayer stood there, a bit sad. Despite all her firm companionship, she missed her mom.

"You're a bit quiet," came the rugged voice of Faith from behind. "What's on your mind?"

Startled, Buffy sighed before looking at her fellow Slayer. "Just thinking," she replied, looking at the floor.

"You ready to kick some ass tonight?" Faith asked, cracking her knuckles.

"I guess so. I really just wanna know what's going on and how we can save the world from all this shit going on. I guess Giles is working on that for us."

"Well, I got a new numb chuck I wanna try out tonight, so I'm thinking I'll test it out on some vamps and see how many of them I can choke to death or whatever with it. I really wanna just beat something. It's been a while since I have," Faith went on.

Angel walked into the hall, kissing Buffy upon the forehead as he lifted her chin with his finger. "Tell me what's wrong," he said to which she replied "Nothing. I'm fine."

"At least tonight, I might get to stake Drusilla," Faith interjected, puling her stake out of her pocket and caressing its length affectionately.

To interrupt this intimacy, yelling could be heard in the other room. "Xander, I am not wearing this skimpy thing yet!" came the voice of none other than Anya as she stormed out of their room wearing an airy springtime skirt with a violet-y floral design and a black tank top.

She was followed by her husband whom was holding one of her pairs of daisy duke shorts with a bikini top. "Oh, come on. Do it for me," he pleaded before she grabbed the outfit and threw it back in their room.

"It's sixty degrees today! We'll talk about it come summer," she said, going to the kitchen to get one of her diet smothies.

Xander opened a can of beer and sipped it happily. "So, what're we doin' tonight?" he asked Buffy of the mission.

"Find out what Drusilla's plans are," she replied, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Guys, there's just been a huge robbery downtown and they ran off with some weird artifacts. From the sound of it, they're vampires!" Willow said, rushing to the scene.

"Oh, jeez. Giles!" Buffy shouted, storming towards the library.

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	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 8: Bull Shitting

Buffy was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee steaming before her. She rested her chin upon her hand as she contemplated the events of the day. Her prior plans to investigate Drusilla's whereabouts tonight were as of now canceled and it seemed like she was just gonna hang out at home tonight. Behind her, Anya was pouring into a cup the smoothie she had just made, sighing as she ranted about Xander's childish behavior.

"He's so juvenile sometimes. My gosh! I could just slap him," she confessed.

"Hit him," Buffy replied, too nervous to really be listening to her, but trying to seem empathetic regardless.

"Hey guys… So I'm on a new diet and Tara says it'll help me build some muscle mass in my abdomen. I think it's really great because I'd like to be healthier with the whole pagan lifestyle and all," Willow said as she walked into the room to make a drink made from some kind of organic protein powder.

"That's nice, Will," Buffy said quickly, not even making eye contact.

"What's wrong with you today?" Willow asked.

"I'm just worried about Drusilla is all. Who knows what she's up to and sometimes I wonder if Spike is ever tempted to join her again. It's not that I'm jealous or anything because I'm with Angel and all… But, I worry that Spike will be seduced by her or something into becoming his old self."

Willow looked a bit down at the thought of such an occurrence, but then she quickly smiled again as she offered the girls a drink of her special protein beverage.

Speaking of the devil… Spike was quite anxious to use the bathroom. He has to get all dressed up tonight because he had a date with some hooker on the other side of town and he wanted to look his best. Someone was in the bathroom because the shower was running and Spike stood outside the door, which was slightly cracked open. Suddenly, the water ceased to run and whoever it was stepped out of the shower. Curious, Spike peaked through the crack in the door way to see none other than Angel stepping out of the shower, naked.

Every hair on his body rose and his curiosity peaked. Angel of all people was naked before his very eyes and he didn't even know that someone was watching him. The brooding vampire stood before the mirror, applying shaving cream to his chin as he took a razor and began to shave. Silently, Spike watched him through the crack, curious as ever.

"Bloody Hell… I've never really been with a guy before…" he thought to himself as he stared at Angel's muscular figure. Those rock hard abs and the lean body that was so well built just stood out to him. That ass…" He just couldn't help sneaking a peak.

"What're you doing?" came an unexpected voice from behind. It was Faith and she stood, cross armed.

Spike jumped up and couldn't help but look startled. He nearly pissed himself. "I… I…"

"Who's in there?" Faith asked just before Angel came out with a towel around himself. He glanced at both of them awkwardly and went upstairs to his and Buffy's room. "Oh…" Faith smiled salaciously at Spike. "Feeling a little bisexual today, huh? I can relate..."

"That's none of your business, you bloody poof!"

"Don't worry… I won't tell anyone… If you give me ten bucks." Spike looked pissed, but he bit his lip and tugged at his blonde hair, pulling the cash out of his pocket and slapping it in her hand as she gave a twisted smile. "Glad ya see it my way," she said, walking away.

Nightfall came and before they knew it, it was nearly time to go to bed. Buffy sat in Willow's room with her. Tara was in the magical sanctuary, working on some spell or something while Willow was having BFF time with Buffy. They sat upon her bed, sipping hot chocolate. Willow had her plush puppy on her lap as she listened to Buffy go on about life. Both of them were in their pajamas and they were just talking about life.

"And then Dawn's like 'Why don't you move back in with me? It's been fifteen years since mom died…' She like, wants me to basically move in with her and baby her like I'm my mom or something. It's crazy. She and I have been fighting a lot lately. I feel guilty, but I'm needed here. She's freaking out because I left America."

"Yeah, she's a little soft like that…" Willow added.

"She doesn't want me to marry Angel. She thinks I should just stay with her and like, live our lives as celibate sisters or something. Yeah, it's stupid… She needs to grow up a lot. I tried so hard to protect her from everything we deal with, but sometimes I think she just doesn't even appreciate it."

"Well… at least you're here and not having to deal with her in person."

"Yeah, sometimes I wonder if I'm letting her down, but then I think 'Fuck it…' and move on."

"She probably wouldn't survive if Drusilla ever got her hands on her. It's a good thing she's back in America," Willow said, cuddling her plush puppy.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want anything to happen to her, but I'm gonna do what I want. If Angel and I decide to get married, then so be it," the Slayer smiled at last, sipping her hot chocolate while Willow gave her a thumbs up. "Besides, it's better if she's far away because she's more likely to be out of harm's way."

"Exactly," Willow smiled.

The door cracked open and Angel glanced in. "Ready for bed?" he asked.

Buffy smiled. "Good night, Will," she smiled as she hugged her, getting off the bed to join her lover as they walked down the hall together. He was wearing a black muscle shirt and his matching boxer briefs, as he walked bare footed to their room.

They threw themselves upon the bed and pulled the covers overtop them as he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her goodnight, to which she simply smiled, taking in the scent of him alongside her. Thoughts of Dawn worried her as she tried to get herself to fall asleep, but she couldn't articulate why she was so worried about her little sister. After all, Drusilla didn't even know where she was, did she?


	8. Dreams

Chapter 9: Dreams

 **In this chapter, Buffy and Angel each have a dream that is of great significance to them. Angel's dream is a recollection of his past from the morning he was cured of Angelus and vampirism, while Buffy has a dream that is foreshadowing an event in her future that pertains to Dawn. Yes, I am aware that most people hate Dawn and I'm not a big fan of her myself. She is extremely bratty, but I'll definitely keep her in character and she'll only have limited presence in this story.**

He couldn't take the pain that was already raging inside him even though the ritual had not yet begun. In a large cathedral, he stood, chained just before the altar as a massive cross behind him hung from the ceiling and stained glass windows of glistening majesty lined the building's structure, allowing the last remnants of moonlight to shine through them. He could feel the chains that bound him as they constricted against his wrists and he groud his teeth nervously as he stood there, anticipating the moment he had waited for over two hundred years. Breathing deeply, he made an effort to smile for in the aftermath of this madness, he surely would hold victory over the demon who tortured him for far too long. But that demon knew exactly what was going on and he was doing everything he could to stop it.

"It's gonna be alright. After this, we can finally be together and you'll be free of him," Buffy assured, kissing her lover on the cheek.

Angel looked at her and suddenly felt reassured of himself. When all of this was over, their relationship could finally happen and one day he would call her his wife - the one for whom he waited for over two hundred years. "Buffy..." he breathed.

Before them, Willow stood, holding an ancient grimoire that contained within it magic so deep and powerful unlike anything she had ever seen before. It even included a spell that could rip Angelus from Angel's body and bring light back to the soul of the tortured man. This grimoire was found on an expedition to Romania where a Gypsy clan had kept it hidden in a shrine for hundreds of year, guarding it, but once they learned about it, the Scoobies traveled there and made sure they got it. Willow was reviewing the spell one final time before she attempted it in full. Her wife Tara stood at her side, reading it with her and deciphering every bit of its meaning.

Everyone else was standing around them. Xander had just returned from the cathedral's foyer as he had just locked the doors as Anya stood in deep thought, remembering her own demonic past and those sins that still haunted her, while Faith stood cross armed and Giles exhaled deeply, hoping this would actually work. All of them were holding crosses. Would this ritual actually work or would it only make things worse?

"Just hold on. It's gonna be alright," Buffy promised, once again kissing the man she saw as her husband even though they weren't actually married.

"I can feel him... He's angry. He knows what we're about to do," Angel sighed, apprehensive as all Hell.

"Just hang in there," Wllow said as Tara pointed to something on the page before them. "Alright... We're ready," Willow declared as Tara took a step back by the others.

Buffy kissed Angel one final time and wished him the best as she, too, joined the others away from Willow's needed area for the ritual.

"Here we go," Willow whispered as she began concentrating, reading the ancient text in the language of the Gypsy people.

The complicated runic symbols were already drawn in a circular pattern with chalk upon the marble flooring where Angel was chained and they would be washed away once it was all completed. After a moment's stillness, the symbols began glowing ardent crimson as the night neared its end and the new moon hung suspended high in the sky. Angel felt a sharp pain surge all throughout his body as he gasped, but Willow kept declaring the incantation adamantly and with a stern confidence as Angel began to scream and his face transitioned to that of the evil Angelus and then back to Angel in repetion, back and forth, screaming ceaselessly.

"It's working," Tara said.

Buffy stood in silence as she felt so grateful for all of this. Her lover was finally going to be free of all this madness and they could finally be together and nothing would ever stop it. This was the happiest day of her life so far.

Willow's hair began blowing backward as a howling wind from out of nowhere spiraled through the cathedral and everyone was shocked, understanding the intensity of this ritual as every lit candle blew out instantly. Tears were falling down Angel's face as he continued screaming, fighting against the chains as his entire body seared with blistering pain and Angelus just refused to let go of him while Willow continued the enchantment, making it to the final verses. The pain, worse than before, drove Angel to madness as he continued to try to break the chains, and it was as if his body began to emit a dark aura that was being ripped from it.

Finally, the darkness was ripped from him as the earliest rays of sunlight began to shine through the massive church's stained-glass windows that lined its structure. This light - the light of dawn - completed the ritual as the demon Angelus was torn from Angel and he, in his misty, phantasmal form, screamed in anger as he was pierced with the blinding light of the new day, no longer bound to his host. Angel's screaming ceased as he watched Willow banish the demon to Hell, causing him to disappear from site as a tense and heavy feeling left the room and all that remained was light and love and peace.

After a moment's silence as everyone stood in shock, wondering if it had been successful, Angel smiled vibrantly for the first time in hundreds of years as he knew that Angelus was now gone.

"Is he... cured?" Anya asked stuttering.

"I... I think so," Giles answered, unsure and nervous.

Willow exhaled deeply as she closed the book and Buffy approached the altar. Angel raised his head to smile at her and she smiled back, crossing her arms in satisfaction as Willow and Xander unchained him. Immediately, he ran to Buffy and they embraced passionately. Angelus was no longer within Angel, whom was no longer a vampire and could live his life as a normal man and one day die a natural death.

Angel awoke from his dream, recalling the exorcism of Angelus exactly as it had happened a few years prior. He lay there in their bedroom as he heard the rain pouring down outside as lightning struck, igniting the room, while Buffy slept. Angelus had been gone from him for quite a while now, but he often feared that the monster would somehow find his way back to him. Such trauma was unnecessary for the mind's well being.

Breathing deeply, he closed his eyes once again, but little did he realize that Buffy was having a horrible dream as she lay there in silence, fearing Drusilla's malicious schemes and the safety of Dawn.

In what seemed to be a cellar of some sort, Buffy had arrived on the scene of what appeared to be the crucifixion of Dawn. The girl was hanging above the floor, chained to the cold, stone wall and she had scars all over her body, which was covered in blood. Tears fell from her face as she pleaded for her life in an insane rant of post-traumatic trauma.

"Dawn!" Buffy shouted.

"Buffy!" she cried, squealing.

"Who did this to you?" the Slayer asked abruptly, trying to find a way to either unlock or break the chains that bound her.

"Dru... Drusilla. She's near. She'll be back any minute."

"I'll get you down... Don't worry."

As Buffy fought against the chains, trying to break them, Dawn smirked angrily. Her face transitioned to an expression of disgust and anger that was unjustified in nature. She gazed down at Buffy, thinking about what to say to her, blaming her for her current situation.

The Slayer finally shattered the chains and Dawn fell to the floor before getting on her feet. Her body smelt of blood and scrapes as she began crying, refusing to move Buffy tried to rush her out of the room.

"Dawn, let's go!"

"No!" she protested, tearing up as she stood there.

"What? Why? Dawn, Drusilla is going to be back any minute now. We have to leave!"

"This is all your fault!" Dawn cried as tears streamed down her face and she bit her lip angrily.

Buffy, insulted, cringed. "What are you talking about?" she demanded to know as Dawn pouted angrily.

"You abandoned me! You never cared about me! All you care about is Angel... Angel! Angel! Angel! You've neglected me so badly since he's been cured of vampirism! And then even Willow and the others have forgot about me too! Ever since you had that stupid wish from the Powers That Be and you were able to bring Tara and Anya back to life, you've all forgotten about me! Why didn't you wish mom back to life? At least she would love me!" Dawn cried.

Buffy was annoyed. "How can you say this?" she glared angrily, ready to smack Dawn. "I sacrificed so much for you, including my life that one time! I've done everything to protect you! I even accepted you as my sister even though you technically aren't!" the Slayer vehemently hissed as she stared at the sobbing woman before her.

"What's that supposed to mean? I wouldn't have been captured if you would've been protecting me, but no! You ran off to London with Angel and your friends and you forgot all about me! I've been through more pain than you'll ever know!" Dawn screamed, punching the air.

The Slayer's brow raised. "Really?" she asked, curiously. "Do tell how you've died multiple times and been brought back, lost the love of love of your life on more than one occasion, had to live with a secret identity and having no social life because of it, watched countless innocent people die before your very eyes and having to live with the guilt of knowing that you didn't save them, getting beaten and bloodied up almost every night of your life by undead freaks who want to kill you and everyone you love, and then constantly having to worry about the safety of the whole world because it depends on you! When you go through all that, than you can compare yourself to me, Dawn..."

"... Mom died!" Dawn cried, clawing at her own face.

"That affected me just as much if not more than it affected you! I know your life hasn't been easy with being my sister and all and watching mom and me and Tara die even though Tara and I were brought back, but don't you ever compare yourself to me! I mean that, Dawn."

Dawn looked extremely angry before she just burst into tears once again, tugging at her hair this time. It was as if she was trying to think of some comeback that would continue this argument and she bit her lip, filled with spite for Buffy, whom stood there with her arms crossed, watching in disgust. After a moment's silence, Dawn stood in anger, curling her fists.

"Buffy, all you care about is Angel banging your pussy!" she shouted in an outburst to which the Slayer smacked her right across the face, causing her to collapse upon the floor and cry even harder as the Slayer stared at her, absolutely disgusted.

Little did they realize that from the shadows, Drusilla was watching them, amused at this scene...

"Dawn, come on! Let's go!" Drusilla's coming! she demanded angrily, biting her lip.

"No! Not until you apologize to me and mean it! I felt so left out since you got with Angel again a few years ago. I have no one!" Dawn cried, as she pounded her fist against the floor.

Buffy could tell this was going nowhere. "You have no one because of the way you act, Dawn! Grow up and maybe you'll actually make some friends! If I have to fucking drag you out of here, I will," she cursed silently, praying that Drusilla wasn't near as Dawn screamed and sobbed in a tantrum, blatantly giving away their location to the evil vampire. "Come on!" Buffy hissed, grabbing Dawn's wrist and pulling her off the floor as the younger woman screamed and protested that the Slayer didn't love her.

"Why didn't you bring back mom with that stupid wish? At least she'd love me! You put everyone else and yourself before me! I hate you! I hate you all! You're gonna marry Angel and forget all about me if you haven't already! And Willow and the others don't care about me either! I never even truly felt like I was part of your group. You all think you're too good for me and never included me anyway. Now, you're all gonna run off and save the world together and I'm stuck in a normal life! You're all such a great group of friends and I'm left out in the cold! I bet when you get married you'll have Willow as your maid of honor instead of me! And Tara and Anya and Faith will be in your court, but I won't be!" Dawn continued to scream as they nearly reached the cellar door.

"Dawn... shut up!" Buffy yelled. Dawn never truly grew up and even now in her late twenties, she still acted like a child. She still protested, trying to break free of Buffy's hold and at this point, the Slayer knew she had to use force. She firmly grabbed Dawn's wrist and began to drag her as she cried loudly, her bloody body abrading against the cold, stone floor. "Damn it, Dawn!"

"Mom wouldn't like how you're treating me! She always liked me better than you!" Dawn cried.

This was the last straw... No one was going to talk about Joyce like that to the Slayer. After a moment of brief silence, she was about to lose her shit on Dawn.

"Don't you ever say that! You're not even a real person! You're just some energy ball that was given a physical body and you turned out to be the biggest spoiled brat on the face of the earth! She's not even really you're mother and I'm not even really you're sister! My dad is not even really your dad! You sicken me! This is why MY FRIENDS have gotten so annoyed with you! You act like a two year old!"

This made Dawn cry louder and harder than ever as Buffy just let go of her wrist and she curled in a fetal position at which the Slayer could only scowl at. Finally, Drusilla stepped out from the shadows, clapping.

"What a funny show," she smiled darkly. "How long is it going to go on?"

"Drusilla..." Buffy said, raising her fists. "Dawn, leave. I'll take care of this."

"Should I kill the little brat, Buffy? I'm sure it would relieve you of some stress."

Buffy was silent as Dawn cowered on the floor, shaking in terror as she looked away from Drusilla, closing her eyes. In her hands, the evil vampire held a very sharp knife and she was obviously intending to use it on Buffy. A fight was about to begin as Dawn would not rise from her fetal position, screaming.

Buffy awoke from the nightmare, panting as her heart pounded in her chest. It was so vivid and so real. In the past, she had dreams that showcased the future. Could this be one of those dreams? She would discuss it with Willow and Tara in the morning, but for now, she could only lay back down, listening to the sound of the pouring rain outside as she sighed.

On this night, Angel had a dream that accurately showed a vision of an event in the past, while Buffy had a dream that accurately showed a vision of an event from the future, even though she did not yet realize it.

As always, PLEASE REVIEW AND BE DETAILED!


	9. REAL CHAPTER 9

**I AM SO SORRY THAT I ACCIDENTALLY POSTED A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT TO THIS INSTEAD OF THE CHAPTER! It was 4 AM. I'm taking summer classes to get done with my degrees by next spring. Please forgive me. Here's the real chapter:**

Later that day, Buffy was outside, leaning against the balcony as the wind blew in her hair. She stared out at the cloudy London sky as she stood at the top of the skyscraper, contemplating her life. It has been so long since Joyce died. In fact, it was too long. Missing her mom, she found herself not so much in a state of depression, but rather in a state of contentment. She would always wish that her mom was still here with her, but she knew that she couldn't change it and after all these years, she had finally come to accept her death.

In silence, she remained there, resting her shoulders on the stone railing. Back inside the penthouse, everyone else was probably just hanging out. Willow and Tara were probably doing magical stuff in the sanctuary; Anya was probably recounting her money stash in hers and Xander's room; Xander was probably watching her count her money with a hard one in his pants; Faith was probably blasting loud music in her room; Giles was probably reading up on something in the library; and Spike was probably in his room either wanking off or getting ready for a date tonight with some random girl or both… Yet here Buffy was all alone on the roof.

Angel walked out to the balcony and rested his shoulders upon the railing, next to her. Without a word, he glanced to her and she sighed, unsure of what to say about herself right now. Everything was just so weird and confusing with being back in London and having to save the world again and years of a normal life.

"Hey…" she smiled.

"Something's wrong, isn't it?" he asked, staring into her eyes.

"Just nerves… It's been a few years since I've been at this Slayer thing, but here I am again. What if I fail? Or what if I end up getting killed?"

"You won't," he smiled, putting his hand on her back and caressing it gently.

"And then I keep fighting with Dawn. She's back in America and she's so mad at me. I just don't even know anymore. For a while, I thought the old bratty girl from the days of Glory was gone. I really thought she grew up, but I guess not. She'll never grow up."

Upon these words, Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. Dawn was such a handful to deal with, even in her late twenties.

"Don't let her get you down, baby."

"I know. She constantly wants me to baby her and I just can't do it. She needs to take care of herself… She clings to me because I'm all she has, I guess…"

Angel spoke no words. He just listened as Buffy went on, venting about her frustrations with Dawn and worrying if she was a bad sister or not for leaving her in America. She wanted to protect her from Drusilla, but at the same time, she didn't want to bring her along because of the way she acted a lot of the time. Would Joyce be angry at her?

"Buffy, you've done all you can for her. The world needs you again and its time you let her stand on her own. Besides, you're not alone. You have me," Angel told her, wrapping his arm around her side and pulling her close as euphoria drowned his body.

"I do have you," she smiled in return, resting her head against his chest as she returned his embrace wholeheartedly.

Suddenly, Anya rushed towards them from inside. "Meeting in the living room! Giles says Drusilla's at large again!" she said before darting back inside as Angel and Buffy followed her downstairs.

In the living room, everyone was gathered. Giles stood before the flat screen TV, reading something on his cell phone about an attack downtown as everyone sat, gathered around him. Buffy darted in with Angel behind her.

"What's going on, Giles?" she asked impetuously.

"Buffy! There's been a huge break-in at a museum and it seems like it's Drusilla and her goons. You need to get down there immediately and see what she's up to. I fear that she's going after some kind of magical artifact if she's breaking into such a place."

"Yeah, why else would she break into a museum?" Willow asked.

"Time for ass kickin'!" Faith said, slamming her fist into the palm of her other hand.

"Alright, team. Let's go!" Buffy ordered with Willow, Xander, Angel, and Faith behind her.

These days, because of Angel and Faith permanently joining the Scooby Gang, there wasn't as much of a need for Tara and Anya to do actual combat fighting. Tara, being her usual gentle self, preferred to stay at HQ with Giles and help him do research, while Anya did just the same, but both occasionally would go out with Buffy and the others and utilize their talents to help her fight crime.

Down the elevator the five of them went to the skyscraper's lobby and out the doors into the streets of London as the greying sky was set over them. They were going to face Drusilla and stop her from whatever crime she was attempting at the museum downtown. Hopefully, she didn't already get what she wanted.

 **PLEASE REVIEW! Sorry I put this story on Hiatus for so long. I've been dealing with so much BS in my personal life from my family and I'm trying to move out and get my own place. I've been so tied down with school lately to because I'm taking summer classes so I can graduate with my biology and psychology degrees next spring. Anyway, I hope you like the story so far. I've been thinking about the plot a lot lately and finally have gotten it figured out. I think this story's gonna be around a hundred chapters or so, so please review and be detailed! What do you think? What do you wanna see happen?**


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